Ironing machine



April 14, 1935/ s, VISSCHER IRONING MACHINE Filed May 3, 1955 lhvehoor I John' S. \fiSSChGT",

b5 His Adoovneg.

Patented Apr. 14, 1936 John S. Visscher, Bridgeport,

General Electric Company,

New York Conn, assignor to a corporation of Application May 3, 1935, Serial No. 19,585

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to ironing machines of the type in which ironing is effected by pressure between a heated shoe and a buck.

The object of my invention isv to provide an improved construction and arrangement in an ironing machine ofthis type, and for a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attentionis directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an ironing machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation partly in section of the ironing machine shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carriage and the mechanism for pressing the shoe against the buck; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a modification of my invention.

- Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a hollow base having a raised portion 2 on which is supported a padded buck 3 of suitable construction. At the rear of the buck, the top wall of the, base is raised to provide an apron 4 which prevents the surplus of the material being ironed from falling over the rear edge of the base. Extending toward the rear of the base from each sideof wall 4 are spaced vertical walls 5. Shafts 6 and I extend transversely between the walls 5 and are rotatably journaled therein. Fixed to the shafts 6 and l are two pairs of links 8 and 9, one link of each pair being located adjacent one of the walls 5. The upper ends of links 8 and 9 are respectively fixed to shafts I and II. These shafts are rotatably carried between the spaced side walls I2 of a carriage I3. 'A line connecting the axes of shafts l0 and H is substan-.

tially parallel to a line connecting the axes of shafts 6 and I, and the links 8 and 9 therefore provide a parallelogram linkage for moving the carriage vertically relative to the base while maintaining the carriage in the same horizontal plane. If the line connecting the axes of shafts l0 and H is at an angle to a lineparallel to the line connecting the axes of shafts 6 and l, as shown in Fig. 4, the carriage will be tilted as it is moved vertically by the linkage. For conveniencje, this linkage will also be called a parallelogram linkage in this application. This modification of the linkage which is shown in Fig. 4 makes it possible for the shoe to be horizontal when in the raised position and to be parallel with an inclined buck when in the lowered position.

A wall It extends between and is integral with the upper edges of the side walls 12 of the carriage. Fixed between the lower edges of the side upper (01. 68-9) walls I2 are two channel-shaped cross bars l5. At the center of each of the cross bars is carried a bushing I6 in which a bolt I1 is slidably mounted. The lower end of each bolt I1 is threaded into the upper side of a shoe IS. The shoe is biased toward the under side of the carriage by coil springs l9which surround the bushings I6 and the bolts I1 and which are arranged between the cross bars l and washers 20 at the upper ends of the bolts. The bolts H are symmetrically arranged on either side of the center of the shoe and midway between the ends of the shoe. This arrangement permits tilting of the shoe in order to accommodate irregular thickness of the material being ironed. The shoe is constructed from suitablemetal, such as aluminum, and is heated by electric heating elements 2| which are arranged in grooves on the upper surface of the shoe and are held in place by clamps 22. A cover 23 encloses the upper surface of the shoe.

The parallelogram linkage swings the carriage from the dotted line position inFig. 2, in which the shoe is raised from and out of register with the buck to the full line position in Fig. 2, in which the shoe is in register with and in contact with the buck. When in the raised position, the

shoe is maintained substantially horizontal with the heated surface facing downward, and there is accordingly less heat loss than in constructions in which the shoe is inclined when it is out of register with the buck. When the shoe is in the lowered position, the shoe is parallel to the surface of the buck whether the upper surface of the buck is horizontal as shown in Fig. 2, or inclined as shown inFig. 4.

In moving the carriage to the full line position,

the carriage moves until the shoe comes in contact with the material arranged on the upper 'surface of the buck. The carriage is held in this position by a pair of locking levers 24 which are fixed to a shaft 25 pivotally carried between the side walls l2 of the carriage. These locking levers are biased toward the projecting ends 26 "of links 8 by compression springs 21. These springs are of wall Hand washers 29a on rods 28. Rods 28 extend through openings 29 in the top wall H of the carriage and are pivotally connected to the locking levers 24TThe locking levers are held away from the portions 26 of links 8 by a latch which comprises links 30 fixed to a shaft 3| rotatably carried between the side walls l2 of the carriage and having a pin and slot connection 32 to the locking levers. At the center of the shaft 3| .is fixed a lever 33 which engages a cam .34.

arranged around ro'ds 28 between the under side,

The cam 34 is fixed to the shaft 35 which is rotatably carried between the walls l2. The under side of the cam 34 is in contact with a roll 36 which is rotatably carried between ears 3'! on a plate 38 secured to the upper surface of the shoe. The springs I9 which bias the shoe toward the under side of the carriage maintain the cam 34 in the position shown. A handle 39 for turning the cam 34 is fixed to. the shaft 35 at the righthand end, as shown in Fig. l. A cover 40 which is fixed to the carriage |3 encloses the upper side of the carriage and the operating mechanism. A handle 4| for moving the shoe into and out of engagement with the buck is fixed to the front of the cover 40. The weight 'of the shoe and carriage is partially balanced by a spring 42 arranged between the wall 4 of the base and an ear 43 on one of the links 8.

In the use of the ironing machine, the carriage and shoe are moved by handle 4| to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 in which position the shoe is out of register with the buck. This movement is assisted by the spring 42 which partially balances the weight of the shoe and carriage. The material to be ironed is then spread over the upper surface of the buck, and the shoe is moved forward by handle 4| from the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 to the full line position where the shoe is in contact with the buck. The parallelogram linkage permits the shoe to be moved the proper distance to bring it into con-.

tact with the material to be ironed. This compensates for variations in the thickness of the material being ironed. The operating lever 39 is then moved in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2. The initial part of this movement moves the cam 34 clear of the lever 33 and permits the springs 21 to force the locking levers 24 into engagement with the'projecting portions 26 of links 8. This position of 'the locking levers is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. When the locking levers are in this position, they prevent turning of the portions 26 of links I in a clockwise direction relative to the carriage. Since a movement of this nature is necessary if the carriage is to move away from the position in which the shoe is in register with the buck, the locking levers prevent movement of the shoe away from the in-register position. The continued counterclockwise movement of the operating lever 39 causes the cam 34 to move the shoe downwardly away from the carriage l3 and into pressing engagement -with the buck. In the final position of the operating lever, the roll 33 rests in a depression 44 in the cam and holds the cam and operating lever in this position. Because the shoe is in contact with the upper surface of the buck before the cam 34 comes into use, the cam 34 can have a relatively short throw and still develop the necessary pressure'between the buck and shoe.

To release the pressure between the buck and shoe, the operating lever is moved in a clockwise direction. The initial part of this movement What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the U ted States is:

1. An ironing press c mprising a pair of pressing members, a carriage for one of the pressing members, a parallelogram linkage conected to the carriage for moving the pressing member carried thereby into register and contact with the other pressing member, locking means on the carriage for engaging said linkage and preventing movement of said carriage away from the in-register position, and means for moving one of said pressing members into pressing engagement with the other pressing members.

2. An ironing press comprising a pair of pressing members, a carriage for one of the pressing members, a parallelogram linkage connected to the carriage for moving the pressing member carried thereby into register and contact with the other pressing member, said linkage including a linkpivoted to said carriage and having a portion extending beyond said pivot, locking means on said carriage engaging the extended portion of said link for preventing movement of said carriage away from the in-register position, and means for moving one of said pressing members into pressing engagement with the other pressing member.

3. An ironing press comprising a buck, a shoe, a carriage for the shoe, a parallelogram linkage connected to the carriage for moving the shoe into register and contact with the buck, locking means for preventing movement of the carriage away from the in-regis'ter position, and means for moving the shoe relative to the can'iagei into pressing engagement with the buck.

4. An ironing press comprising a buck, a shoe, a carriage for the shoe, a parallelogram linkage connected 'to the carriage for moving the shoe into register and contact with the buck, locking means onithe carriage for engaging said linkage and preventing movement of the carriage away from that in-register position, and means for moving the shoe relative to the carriage into pressing engagement with the buck.

5. An ironing press comprising a buck, a shoe, a carriage for the shoe, a parallelogram linkage connected to the carriage for moving the shoe into register and contact with the buck, said linkage including a link pivoted to said carriage and having a portion extending beyond said pivot, locking means on said carriage for engaging the extended portion of said link and preventing movement of the carriage away from the in-register position, and means for moving the shoe relative to the carriage into pressing engagement with the buck.

6. An ironing press comprising a buck, a shoe, a can'iage. for the shoe, a parallelogram linkage connected to the carriage for moving the shoe into register and contact with the buck, an operating lever for moving the'shoe relative to the carriage into pressing engagement with latch upon the initial pressing movement of the operating lever.

8. An ironing press comprising a buck, a shoe, a carriage for the shoe, a parallelogram linkage connected to the carriage for moving the shoe into register and contact with the buck, said linkage including a link pivoted to said carriage and having a portion extending beyond the pivot, an operating lever for moving the shoe relative to the carriage into pressing engagement with the buck, a locking lever pivoted on said carriage and biased to engage the extended portion of said link for preventing movement of the carriage away from the in-register position, a latch for preventing engaging of said link by said locking lever, and means for releasing said latch upon initial pressing movement of the operating lever.

- 9. An ironing press comprising a buck, a shoe, a carriage for the shoe, a parallelogram linkage connectedto the carriage for moving the -shoe into register and contact with the .buck, said linkage including a link pivoted to said carriage and having aportio'n extending beyond the pivot, a cam for moving the shoe relative to the carriage into pressing engagement with the buck,

a locking lever J pivoted on said carriage and biased to engage the extended portion of said link for preventing movement of the carriage away from the iii-register position, a latch for preventing engaging oi said link by said locking lever, and means for'rele ing said latch upon initial pressing movement 6 the cam..

10. An ironing press compr ing a support, a

g its surface oe a carriage buck carried by the support ha inclined fromthe horizontal, a

'for the shoe, a pair of links each pivoted on said support and on said carriage for moving the shoe into and out of register with the buck, said links being of difierent lengths between the pivot points, the pivot points of the links being arranged so that the shoe is substantially horizon- -tal in the out-of-register position and parallel to the surface of the buck in the in-register position, and means for effecting pressing engagement between the buck and the shoe.

f JOHN S. 

